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Talk-21: A Low-Cost Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Man-overboard and Maritime Search and Rescue

Michael Autery P.E.

CEO and Founder - Gander Robotics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management

This talk presents the development of the Autonomous Rescue Swimmer (ARS), a hand-deployable autonomous underwater vehicle designed to improve maritime search and rescue by rapidly locating and assisting people in the water. Unlike conventional search methods that rely primarily on visual detection from surface vessels and aircraft, ARS searches from beneath the surface using active and passive sensor as well as autonomous navigation to operate effectively in darkness, rough seas, and degraded visibility. The presentation will describe the operational concept behind ARS, including rapid deployment from ships, helicopters, small boats, docks, and shorelines, autonomous victim localization, and delivery of an integrated rescue package consisting of flotation, visual marking, and continuous RF beaconing to guide rescuers. The talk will also discuss a layered man-overboard detection architecture that combines wearable technologies with autonomous response assets to reduce detection time while minimizing false alarms. Vehicle design considerations, modular architecture, and the use of commercial off-the-shelf components to enable affordable manufacturing at scale will also be presented.

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Categories:

  • UUVs